I found the perfect one skein project, just right for your man! If he’s a handy man, he’ll need these. If he’s a hunter, he’ll need these. If he’s always on the go, he’ll need these.  I searched on Raverly.com for the perfect one skein project for the man in our lives.

Because I’ve been posting one skein projects as an intermediate knitters, I looked for an easy knit, free online, and man. This is what I found: 75 yard Malabrigo Fingerless Mitts. I love worsted weight yarn and working with a size 8 needle. The pattern itself has you working on double points, but if you know Magic Loop, that’s fine! The pattern is easy to follow and you can make it adjustable to the length of the cuff or hand.

Great yarns to check out with this item:

The washable options: Ty-Dy wool, Encore Worsted, and Encore Tweed

The I-really-only-want-warmth-don’t-care-about-washable options: Rimu DK, Noro Kureyon, Shepherd’s Wool, and Classy (which we just got in new colors and will be putting it online *hopefully* soon). These are all great yarns with amazing colors to choose!

There are amazing mitts or mittens to have for this winter season to give to your loved ones. We have a One of A Kind Kit only available by calling or stopping in the store for You Hold the Key Mitts. Colors available for this mitten pattern *click here*. Price is $27.95 USD.

Buy your yarns at Knitting Today! Designer’s ravelry page for the mitts: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/75-yard-malabrigo-fingerless-mitts

 The mitts pattern:

http://lifeincleveland.blogspot.com/2008/03/mmmalabrigo-glovies.html

Shout out to the designer for letting us borrow her picture!

Are you there? We are:

https://plus.google.com/b/104366879572057740686/104366879572057740686/posts

This pattern, called Calorimetry, I’m in love with. I knitted this last year for my  younger sister, and this year for Christmas presents. This is a one skein project and simple to do. I’m an  intermediate knitter and take projects head-on.

Calorimetry is a 2×2 rib and done in short rows. You pretty much follow the pattern and repeat it until you get a specific amount of stitches between markers.  To do the short rows, you’ll turn your work.

Don’t fret if you think it’s wrong because of the holes. It’s supposed to be there!  I’ve tried to change the way I turn my work two times; the end result is the same.

But the good thing about those holes, it makes this pattern adjustable. My noggin is about 20-23″, the regular head size. This fits comfortable. Also, this pattern is great for ladies who always have their hair up in pony tails or buns. It covers their ears, and you can’t ruin your regular look. I like it because I can put it on my hair that I worked on  for hours and not have HAT HAIR or have it flatten.

The yarn I used is sadly, sold out. But I have great alternatives! I love the self-striping in the original picture. Kureyon from Noro would make an awesome Calorimetry! So many colors! You’ll find one that is perfect for a gift or yourself.  Another great yarn would be Ty-Dy wool for the stripes. If you want more of a solid color, Mauch Chunky would be a great one! I love the magenta even though I’m in love with purple as well.

To make it girlie, you can also knit a little flower on it. I had to buy a pattern for the flower I made for my sister. The people who are receiving my gifts are more country and probably would not like the flower lol.

So many options for this one skein project! I hope you decide to do it and order your yarn from us. Our website is www.knittingtoday.com and our phone is 1-800-426-5098, or if you’re in Indiana, 260-351-2260.

A great place for ideas for yarn or changes to make if you want it for a child, go to ravlery.com and search in projects for calorimetry. Ravelry is a free place for knitters to share their projects, stash, and get ideas for new projects. If you want a shorter headband version to make many, click here. I think it’s awesome! Join our group on ravelry! http://www.ravelry.com/groups/knitting-today

Well, I missed it.  I understand Yarn Day was October 14.  That was a Friday, so that meant we were knitting here at the store.  What did you do for Yarn Day?

Happy Anniversary, Tom and Lea-Ann of 23 years!

Every summer, I swear it isn’t going to happen, but it does and this summer is no exception . . . the work piles up!! I’m trying desperately to launch the new website design and while I’m working the kinks out on that, the incoming products pile up. I promise I’ll get there . . . I’m tripping over boxes, moving them around, and generally feeling a little overwhelemed, but I know if I just keep at it, I’ll get there. Knitting is on the backburner but you know what? I might need to just take a break one evening this week and sit at the lake and knit a few rows to regain momentum. We’ll see . . . onward!

Since it has been days without rain, we are watering our flowers with the collection barrels. We have found a couple small toads hopping around in our small habitat enjoying our soil. The flowers are blooming (and dying since it has been a couple days). But we did find a new treat! Radishes! We actually never planted radishes, and we don’t eat many.  Apparently, only I eat radishes when at a salad bar; I thought it was normal.

We do have a cucumber plant as always and tomatoes. They need to grow. Let’s just keep our garden growing and hoping the bunnies don’t munch on our healthy treats. When they are all ready to pick off, you can help yourself to some of our garden veggies. We planted to share! How is your summer garden doing? – Tara

P.S. my grandma came to visit for my graduation party and weeded the tomatoes, picked the radishes, and watered everything.  Hope the flowers make it through the July 4th holiday heat!

You know how sometimes something happens that really ticks you off, but even at the time it happens you know that it’s funny?  In an angry sort of way at the moment, but you know that you will look back and laugh?  You also know that if it was happening to someone else you would already be laughing?  Welcome to my morning.  Here’s the story… feel free to laugh at me.

I took advantage of the still relatively cool morning today and decided to do Bible study on the deck by the pool.  It was lovely- slight breeze, sunny sky, birds chirping, yada yada.  Took the pup out with me so he could enjoy the morning before he got stuck in his crate for the day and he was having a good time chewing sticks, chasing cats, and all those puppy things and I thought “oh, he’s so cute.”   I finished my study and had maybe 25 minutes to get my hair done and get to work (hard to believe, I know, since I always look so well put together *snort*), so I call to the pup and he just looks at me.  Now, I don’t know if any of you have ever experienced this, but there comes a day when every puppy gets old enough to realize that he can run away from you and there is no way on God’s green earth that you can catch him.  And when he realizes this he looks at you with this smirky expression and you know that he knows this, and what’s worse is that you know that he knows that you know this.  Thus begins the stand off.  I spent the next 10 minutes doing the whole cajole and bribe thing while he silently laughed at me and ran just out of my reach before sitting down and waiting for me to try again.  His cuteness is diminishing by the second.  Usually I just turn my back on him and go in the house and he cannot stand this; he likes to be where I am so he runs to the door and begs for me to let him in.  That was my plan, however this is not what happens, because when I get to the door IT IS LOCKED!  No big deal, we have at least a bazillion spare keys and there is one in the garage so I go to get it, ignoring the dog so he doesn’t think he’s still winning the “you can’t catch me” game and I go in and THE KEY IS NOT THERE!  (I know that you are already picturing this and laughing.  That’s okay because it gets better)  I walk around the house looking for an unlocked window because I had just shut up the house and turned on the air this morning.  Had this happened yesterday all the windows would have been wide open, but not today.  And I am so anal that I had even locked all the windows.  ggggrrrrrrr.  Head back around the house to the garage for one more look-see just in case one of the kids tossed the key on the workbench.  Nope- still not there.  This is when I realize that I am going to have to humble myself (again) and walk to my MIL’s to get the spare key (again) that we have given her because this is not the first (or even second) time that this has happened.  Which means that I have to catch the pup and hook him to his leash so he cannot follow me as I walk down the road to retrieve the key.   I may have cursed under my breath.  Or out loud.  I’m not sure because at this point I was really mad.  After a few minutes of pretending I didn’t want him, he decided to take pity on me and come over to slobber his victory all over me.  So now the dog is on the leash and I turn to walk down the road and realize that I had come outside barefoot.  Of course.  Walk barefoot down the road to MIL’s and my nephew is outside working on the landscaping and he says “whatever you want we don’t have”.  I dare you to come a little closer and say that because you are not funny.  “you’d better have my house key or I’m screwed” is my actual reply.  I walk into the mud room and thank you Jesus the key is hanging right where it should be.  At least someone keeps the keys where they belong.  As I begin the trek across the yard and down the road I can hear my nephew laughing and he yells “what’s wrong?  lock yourself out?  again?”.   I flipped him off over my shoulder and kept walking.  Not very nice of me and I will have to apologize later.  The day that was lovely and not too hot just a while ago has become very much hot and humid and I am sweating and mad and would somebody tell those birds to just shut up already!  When I get home the pup is waiting to go inside and collapse and I have roughly 3 minutes to get unsweaty and presentable and get to work.  I was only 10 minutes late.  Not bad, considering I took the time to find an old paddle from a dead windchime and tie it to a spare key that I found in the pencil drawer. (if your key is missing and you have children always look there first.  I do not know why this is, but I almost always find one in amongst the pencils)  I’m hoping that it will be impossible to shove the key into a Trapper this way, but I’m not placing any bets.

There is your laugh for the day.  Enjoy.  I’m sure I will laugh tomorrow.  or the next day at the very latest.